Detention Officer - Trainee and Lateral

Overview

Are you passionate about serving and protecting your community? Now is your chance to join the Maricopa County Sheriff s Office (MCSO) as a Detention Officer. In this role, high importance is placed on ensuring public safety is provided and maintained by an individual who takes pride in their work and considers the impact of their actions on an individual, team and organizational level.

We are looking for candidates with strong interpersonal and customer service skills, the ability to effectively resolve conflict, and a desire for enhancing public safety. Ideal candidates will have a keen sense of emotional intelligence and be motivated by serving others and their community. If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, your adventure with MCSO awaits.

Starting compensation and benefits vary by position and experience, including sign-on incentives and education reimbursement, with additional relocation support available for qualified candidates.

• Essential job tasks include conducting security walks and head counts, performing facility and inmate cell searches, and conducting inmate and visitor searches.
• Performs frisk and strip searches of inmates and conducts continual visual surveillance of inmates and facility areas.
• Provides inmate services such as recreation, meals, visitation, and clothing exchanges, which involves lifting items up to 80 lbs. and bending, stooping and kneeling as needed.
• Operates control systems (doors, switches, radios, alarms) under stressful conditions while maintaining emotional control.
• Pursues fleeing inmates on foot and monitors inmate movement within the jail facility, escorting inmates as required.
• Uses force or non-lethal methods as appropriate to gain entrance through barriers or restrain inmates, and responds to emergencies including evacuations and fire incidents.
• Performs basic first aid and CPR as needed and gathers information for investigations by interviewing witnesses and suspects.
• Maintains accurate records and prepares reports using standard grammar and simple mathematical functions.
• Operates security equipment, telephones, fingerprint gear, time clocks, cameras, scanners, copiers, and fax machines; communicates effectively over radio channels, especially under adverse conditions.
• Exhibits independent judgment within legal guidelines and adheres to jail practices and procedures.
• Participates in ongoing training, on-the-job instruction, and on-going professional development related to detention operations.

Detention Trainee Qualifications

Minimum education and/or experience:

• High school diploma or GED, or expected graduation/recertification within 90 days.
• Must be eighteen (18) years of age.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible to work in the U.S.

Specialized training, certifications, and/or other requirements:

• Possess, or obtain by hire, a valid Arizona driver s license.
• Background investigation, polygraph exam, medical exam with attestation of physical readiness, and psychological exam are required prior to hiring.
• On-the-job training in FEMA NIMS IS-100 and 700, safety, payroll and PREA; post-hire 12-week paid detention academy required with assessments to graduate and remain employed.
• Minimum physical readiness standards include: sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5 mile run, 300 meter run, bench press, agility run, and vertical jump with specified minimums.

Preferred education and/or experience:

Three years of work experience, prior law enforcement, and/or prior military experience preferred. Preferably possess or be able to obtain a CDL and/or weapons certification per AZPOST standards.

Detention Lateral Qualifications

Minimum education and/or experience:

• High school diploma or GED; must be 18; must have completed an Arizona detention or corrections academy and have recent relevant experience.
• Candidates from outside Arizona may be considered with evaluation of prior training; lateral eligibility determined by pre-employment process.

Eligible lateral candidates may participate in an accelerated training/orientation program (5 weeks).

Specialized training, certifications, and/or other requirements:

• Arizona driver s license required; pre-hire requirements include background, polygraph, medical, physical readiness, and psychological exams.
• On-the-job training includes FEMA NIMS IS-100/700, OSHA, payroll, and PREA; post-hire 5-week paid training/orientation required.
• Preferred training includes CDL and/or weapons certification per AZPOST standards.

Detention Trainee / Lateral

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Knowledge of English language structure, grammar, and spelling.
• Skill in using standard office equipment.
• Ability to read, learn, apply jail rules and procedures, direct inmate activities, maintain records, and communicate clearly under stress.

Working conditions

Detention work involves 24/7 shifts, physical tasks (lifting, pushing/pulling, running, climbing), exposure to environmental hazards, and potentially high-noise and traumatic situations. The environment may…